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“Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ‘Send some mean on your behalf to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Bnei-Yisrael (Children of Israel).” (TLV)

This section of Scripture can teach us much as believers in the Messiah of Israel. The spies went into the “Promised Land” and saw many wondrous things. They saw a land that was bountiful and wonderful, however, they also saw giants and walls around the cities.

Matthew 28:19 says this:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit), teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (TLV)

Here we have more people being sent, not just to the Promised Land this time, this time into the entire world.

If you’ve been a follower of Yeshua for a while and have gone out into the world, then you know. You know that we still encounter giants and walls. People have “giants” in their lives that they need to overcome; “giants” like addictions, pride, selfishness, sins, etc. To top it off, usually, there are “walls” around these people’s lives that have to fall before the giants can be dealt with. None of those giants or walls can be taken care of by us. It’s the Lord’s work to make those walls fall and topple those giants. He uses us, yes, but it is not by our own efforts.

When we go into the world, just as the Master sends us, it is easy to get overwhelmed and fearful of what we see. As we look around at the world today, there seem to be more giants and walls than ever before. The giants are tall and strong. The walls are high and thick. However, it’s still no match for the King of the Universe.

I think this is why the Master added to the end of his command to go out into the world, “And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He knew we’d face giants and walls that would scare us, that would make us like the spies who went into Canaan. We would become fearful and decide that we are no match for what we are facing. We would say that we “seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33 NIV)

However, we know how that story turned out. After many years, they went up into the Land and the walls fell and the giants toppled. It only happened when the Lord went with them. It’s the same for us today. We can’t go out and make disciple in our own timing or in our own strength. The Lord has to go with us. That’s the only way giants and walls fall. We see this in Numbers 14:44 & 45 when the Israelites tried to take the Land anyway after they were told they had to wait.

In Hebrew, those who are sent are called “Shelachim” or “sent ones.” This is the meaning of the Greek word “Apostles.” As followers of the Master we are also Shelachim. However, we are not all sent to the same places. Some are sent to the world, others are sent to nations, still others are sent to regions and some to cities. Most of us are sent to those around us; our immediate circle of influence. And we must not mistake the importance of that. It is just as valuable and important for us to be obedient to the Lord when we are sent to only those in our everyday circle. Every life is important.

Giants are still giants and walls are still walls no matter how close to home they are. Your next-door neighbor may be facing a dozen giants everyday. The co-worker that annoys you might have the thickest walls you’ve ever seen. Those giants and walls won’t fall unless we are obedient and go when we’re told to go. So listen and have your shoes laced up and ready. When the Lord tells you its time for you to go, go forth and be a giant slayer; go forth and tear down walls. The Lord is with you always, even to the end of the age.

Abraham had this awesome habit. Whenever God gave him a promise or did something remarkable in his life, Abraham made sure he would remember it. He did this several times throughout the Biblical narrative. We can even see this habit carried on as we make our way through the Scriptures of the Tanakh (Old Testament). I think we can learn something from this practice.

Each time Abraham built an altar it was to remind him of something God had said to him or something God had done for him. It was a way of looking back and reconnecting with that event. Take a look at Genesis 12:5-7, 13:8, 13:3-4, 13:17-18. The altar mentioned in 13:8 and 13:3-4 is the same altar. He built it when he began his journey and then came back to it as he was in the midst of his journey.

Life is hard and the business of life can get complicated and take our thoughts and actions hostage. It’s easy to forget why we are doing this thing called life. It’s easy to forget the mission that God has put you on. Life is full of distractions or side roads you have to go down for a season. However, if we have built reminders of what it is God has us striving for along the way, we can look back and remind ourselves of what it is we are doing and where we are headed.

God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation and grant him the land he was wandering through. That was Abraham’s promise. However, as we read through the narrative, we see Abraham had “life happen.” He has to go down to Egypt for a time, he has to help fight a battle to rescue Lot, he has to entertain visitors, etc. That’s life. God has made a promise to each of us and we’re on this journey to see it happen, but we have to deal with life along the way and life can distract our focus. We have to take care of the kids, we have to go to work, we have to pay taxes, and we have to mow the lawn. That’s why its important to have a reminder to remind us of what has happened and what will happen; a reminder of the future.

We see this in Joshua 4:20-24 also.

“Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he said to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come saying: “What are these stones?” then you will inform your children saying, “Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.” For Adonai your God dried up the waters of Jordan before you until you crossed—just as Adonai your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us until we crossed over—24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know Adonai’s hand is mighty, and so that you may fear Adonai your God forever.’” (TLV)

Notice how the stones were a reminder of what had happened as well as the future. It was a reminder that God had split the Jordan River as well as the Red Sea but it was also a reminder that God will be their Lord forever.

This concept of putting up reminders of important events is not lost on us. We do this all the time. We set anniversaries for marriages, birthdays for those we love; we remember important events like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and Memorial Day. It’s not a concept that is lost on us. Even the Bible is a reminder stone for us to remind us of everything God has done and everything He will do.

However, I think in our fast paced culture we forget to set reminders. Facebook has this daily reminder that pops up on my phone everyday at 10:00 am. It always says, “You have memories with such and such person to look back on today.” I look through these every now and then and am reminded of things I was doing a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. I see my struggles, things I was worried about, my victories, things I was excited about and things that I cared about that don’t really matter anymore. Why did I think that cat video was so funny?

The point is that they are reminder stones. Often times those Facebook daily reminders show me God’s hand in my life as He has move my family and me across the country and back. It reminds me of His faithfulness to provide for us and make a path for us as we walk through life. In each point on the journey, He has changed us in some way to draw us closer to Him. Most of the times it doesn’t seem like it when we’re going through it, but when we look back on it, it becomes crystal clear.

My family and I have just begun a new habit. This past Sabbath I handed out a blank notebook to my wife, my daughters and myself. We are going to write down daily, as a journal, what God is doing in our lives. Sometimes it will be boring and not that interesting. Sometimes it will be fantastic and exciting. As we go through this exercise, we will look back on things, look forward to things and examine the present. The notebook, for each of us, will serve as a reminder stone for us to look back on. My prayer is that years from now my children will look through theirs and rejoice in what God has done in their lives. When I’m dead and gone, mine will serve as a testament that God is faithful and carried me through.

What God is doing in each of our lives is important. Don’t let it be forgotten. Set up reminders so that you can glorify Him for what He has done, for what He is doing and for what He will do. Be Abraham and don’t let life get you down.

Forty. I turned forty. For many people, this age brings fear and anxiety. It seems to bring the conclusion that one’s youth has slipped away officially and the downward slope toward death has begun. It’s all about looking back on the “good ole days” from here on out. In fact, my wife gave me a cookie bouquet that hinted at such. It had “R.I.P.” and “You’re Old Now” written on the cookies in black icing.

I remember when my mother turned forty. I was in middle school and I gave her a black coffee mug with “Over The Hill” written on it. Now that I am forty, I can’t help but think that I was a punk for giving her that. What goes around comes around.

Numbers in the Bible have always fascinated me. Forty is one number that is spoken of a lot and associated with being the number for “testing” or “judgment.” We can certainly see this in accounts like the flood and Yeshua’s testing (see Genesis 7:12 and Matthew 4:2). However, the number pops up in other places that don’t make its association with testing and judgment so clear.

Since I just turned forty, let’s look at an instance in the Scriptures where the number is associated with someone else’s age. We know that when Moses died he was 120 years old (Deuteronomy 34:7) and we know that he was 80 years old when he went to Egypt to free the Israelites (Exodus 7:7). Both of these ages are backed up in the Torah and are multiples of the number forty. Eighty is two times forty and 120 is three times forty. Now, to get to the age of Moses when he fled Egypt we have to speculate a bit. However, we do have Stephen’s account in Acts chapter 7, verse 23:

“When he (Moses) was approaching forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brothers…” (TLV)

Most other translations don’t use the word “approaching” here (save the NASB and HCSB). The King James Version uses “when he was full forty years old.” The NIV just says, “When Moses was forty years old” and the ESV gives it the same treatment. A literal translation of the verse would be “When his period of forty years was fulfilled.” In this instance, Stephen is saying Moses was exactly 40 years old. But where does Stephen get this? The Torah doesn’t back it up.

Basically it is from tradition, but a debated one at that. Some Jewish traditions say Moses was twenty years old when he fled Egypt and other Jewish sources say he was forty. But for the purposes of this blog, let’s say he was forty years old upon his fleeing Egypt. This would put the different “milestones” in Moses’ life at intervals of forty years. So it would seem to imply that forty can mark the completion or change or transition of something. The point is not always judgment or testing. Let me explain.

First, let’s look at Noah. The flood was a type of “mikvah” or “baptism” for the world. The Talmud says that a mikvah had to be filled with forty “se’ahs” (a measurement of water) for it to be “kosher.” The mikvah or baptism is the Jewish symbol for cleansing or renewal (spiritual renewal). So when the flood was on the earth for forty days and forty nights, it was a cleansing or renewal for the earth. Noah and his family “started anew” for humanity. They transitioned from the old world that was destroyed to the new one.

Then we have the Exodus account when the children of Israel walked through the Red Sea. As believers in Yeshua, we see this as a foreshadowing of the baptism we take when we take up following Him. This is when we are “born again.” We enter into a new life. The Israelites did this when they left their old life in Egypt and started their new life walking with God.

Then they wandered in the desert for forty years until they were finally allowed to enter into the Promised Land; to their new life. Also, we have the forty days that the Master spent in the wilderness. When He emerged from that time, He entered into His public ministry.

So, forty can also mark the completion of one phase or period of your life and the beginning of a new chapter.

Now, to be sure, these times of change/transition associated with the number forty seem to always be accompanied by some kind of trial or test. That’s because change, meaningful change, is usually messy. It’s rarely easy. A good analogy is the process of birth. It’s generally said that pregnancy is a forty week process. Some people go less and some people go more; but the general rule is forty weeks. At the end of that period there is the birth. Now any mother who has given birth will tell you that giving birth is extremely difficult. It’s bringing in something new, a new life, a change. It’s extremely messy though.

It’s all in the perspective. We can look at forty as a time of testing and trials or we can look at it as a milestone or a process of getting to the next chapter. It can be a time of new beginnings or a time of transition to a new and better time in our lives. It may be messy buts it’s up to us what we make of the mess.

A topic that keeps resurfacing in my life is busyness. I have a busy occupation by nature. Often times I stop and ask myself, “Is this thing that I’m doing right now matter?” What I mean by that is “Is this thing I’m doing going to help achieve something that will impact other people’s lives or my own life?” Perhaps I need to shift my focus a bit and ask myself the same question with a different end. “Does this thing I’m doing right now line up with God’s will?”

It seems that these days, with technology and connectivity, we are all very busy people. We are more connected than ever in the history of the world. We can be reached anytime and at anyplace we are. I’m not so sure it’s a good thing either.

I recently read a post on social media that inspired this blog post. I am probably not quoting it properly or accurately, but I have the gist of it down. It said something like this, “When you are gone from your job, they will miss you for a day or so and then they will move on. However, when you are gone from this world, your family will cry over you and miss you every day for the rest of their lives. To your job, you are a means to an end in the world, but to your family you are their world.”

What it was getting at is that we should not make work a priority over spending time with our family. Yes, we have to work and make money to pay the bills. Yes, we should put our all into our job and do it as unto the Messiah. However, we should not let our job be our reason for being. We should not let it take away valuable time with our loved ones.

Life is short. It is. When I was little, time seemed to drag on and from time to time I could have promised you that time stood still. However, as life beats on, time seems to fly by. Each tick of the clock seems to go faster and faster. Life really is very short. All that to say, what we fill each second with is extremely important.

“My heart was hot within me, while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue: ‘Let me know, Adonai, my end and what the number of my days is. Let me know how short-lived I am.’” – Psalm 39:4 & 5 TLV

“So pay close attention to how you walk – not as unwise people but as wise. Make the most of your time because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 15-17 TLV

We have often heard the phrase, “God doesn’t promise you tomorrow.” However, this phrase is not found in the Bible. The idea of it is there for sure. There are multiple places where Scripture tells us that life is short and we should make the most of each day because we don’t know when our last day will be. So, what are you doing with your “today”?

We are all very busy. From time to time, might I suggest that we all stop for a moment and ask ourselves if what we’re currently doing lines up with God’s will? Make the most of today, not just for a paycheck, but make the most of today for the Kingdom of God and for those who will cry when you’re gone.

What Bible verse sticks with you the most? What is that one verse that continuously comes back and rattles around in your noggin time after time? You know the one. No. Not that one. It’s the other one. Yes, that’s the one! For me, it is this verse:

“The LORD requires of you only to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (MKJV)

I like the Modern King James Version the best for this verse. Maybe that is because of how it first was glued into my brain. The first time this verse stuck and I couldn’t get rid of it was when I heard it in a song. Songs have a way of clinging to your memories and never letting go. They are like the preverbal gum on the bottom of your shoe.

In a good way though.

This verse changes me. It does so every time I hear it; every time I remember it. I think God knows that and that’s why He has glued it to me.

I’m the type of person who can forget to show mercy to others. I can forget to do justly. I can forget to walk humbly and forget that it was only by God’s grace and mercy that I am even alive. It is easy to pat yourself on the back and say, “Look what I’ve done! Look what I’ve accomplished!” In reality, none of us get anywhere or do anything alone. God continuously puts others in our paths to help us, to show us a better way, to inspire us, to change our path, to make us slow down and see the bigger picture; you name it.

The poet, John Donne said this: “No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent…”

Paul put it another way: “For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of the body – though many – are one body, so also is Messiah….For the body is not one part, but many.” (1 Corinthians 12:12 & 14 TLV).

When we understand that we need each other (and sometimes we don’t know why we have difficult people in our lives, but they are usually there for a reason), it changes how we treat others and how we think of others. The body of Messiah is huge. We each play a part in the Kingdom.

So if every part of the body is important and we are part of the same body, it changes how we view each other and how we treat each other; and how we treat even ourselves.

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (brought low), and he who shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11 & 12 MKJV)

In context, Yeshua is telling the leaders of Israel that they were putting themselves up on a pedestal. They did all kinds of things for their own glory. They were doing everything for themselves. They were self-serving, not God serving. They were looking out for number one.

“Though the LORD [is] high, yet He has respect to the humble; but the proud He knows afar off.” (Psalm 138:6 MKJV)

In other words, God will have a relationship with those who humble themselves. He resists the proud (self-serving). For me, Psalm 37 is a perfect picture of being humble; of walking humbly. Go read it. I’ll wait while you do so. I promise.

What does that Psalm get at? It gets at several things actually. But one is that being holy is setting yourself aside for God and His purposes. It’s living His way and not your way. It’s NOT saying “my Will” but saying “Your Will.” It’s letting yourself die and letting Messiah’s Will live through you. It’s thinking more of God than yourself. It’s thinking more of others than yourself. To me, this sounds like walking humbly, loving mercy and doing justly doesn’t it?

“And He said to him, ‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39 TLV)

For me, it comes down to that. I have to remember to love others as I would myself. When I do that, it is easy to show mercy and it is easy to treat people justly. It’s the reminding myself that is hard. My flesh doesn’t want me to remember.

“I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me. And the life I now live in the body, I live by trusting in Ben-Elohim (the Son of God) – who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:19,20 TLV)

So I have to die to my flesh. That’s hard and I can’t do that alone. It takes the power of God and remembering that I am not an island. I am part of the Body. When Paul says, “…the life I now live in the body…”, he is talking about our flesh. However, you can also read it to understand it as the Body of Messiah. “…the life I now live in the Body of Messiah…”

When we realize that we are part of the Body and we are not the only solider on the battlefield, it changes everything. Let that stick. Let it be the gum on the bottom of your shoe.

Many of us are haunted by our past. It could be past actions, past sins, past relationships or anything really. Something back there that did not go according to plan and creeps up in our mind’s eye ever so often. It never fails that when one of those ghostly shapes creep up, it causes some sort of remorse or guilt in our heart.

As I was driving to work this morning, one of my past ghosts crept up into view. My heart immediately sunk and this caused a haunting of more than one ghost to come flooding in. It is easy to say that it is just an attack from the Enemy. Maybe it was. Maybe not. I’m not a fan of blaming everything on “the devil.” I personally feel we give him more credit than he deserves. Sometimes bad things just happen. In cases like this, in my morning drive, I think the issue was me. It wasn’t the enemy; not unless the enemy was me, myself and I.

C.S. Lewis once said, “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” Another way to look at it is from a child-like perspective. When my daughter goes out to play or ride her bike, she almost always comes back with a scratch or a scrape. She plays rough. For the next few days she will constantly look at the scrape, pick at it, peel the scab off and of course it takes longer to heal. My mother used to tell me, “That’s never going to heal if you don’t stop picking at it!” Same goes for us and our past.

If we keep letting our past get us down and beating ourselves up over past mistakes, past relationships, past sins it makes it harder to move forward and grow into whom God has for us to be. It is easy to say “let it go” or to sing the song (now it’s stuck in your head isn’t it?), but actually doing it is rather rough.

I work in a ministry for a job. So when I arrived to work this morning, I told a friend of mine about my drive in and we prayed. He mentioned the Armor of God that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 6 and specifically the breastplate. When you look at the armor that Paul lays out, there is nothing to cover your back (or your past; where you’ve been). My friend mentioned, “That’s because God has your back, He has taken care of your past.” Now, I know it sounds cheesy and there’s not much hermeneutical ground there for that; but it’s still true. What my friend was getting at is the fact that you can’t change your past; it’s done. You can only change your future and where you are going.

“Let your eyes look directly ahead, and fix your gaze straight in front of you. Clear a level path for your feet, so all your ways will be firm. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Divert your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 25-27 TLV)

Speaking of Paul, he was a guy with a past that would haunt you late into the night! Yet, he said this: “But this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the reward of the upward calling of God in Messiah Yeshua.” (Philippians 3:13 & 14 TLV).

So we can’t change the past, but God can take care of it. He can put us on the right path so that our future is different. With our sights focused on Him and the goal of whom He wants us to be driving us, we can let go of the past. I like C.S. Lewis’ way of putting it and comparing it to monkey bars. Every time we let go of one bar, we reach for a new one. Each day we live, we have to let that day go and reach for a new day. What we do with it is up to each of us, but in order to move forward toward the goal of the Kingdom, we have to let go of the past and grab hold of the future.

There are times when I pray in which it feels like everything I say hits the ceiling and bounces back down to my feet. It is probably safe to say that everyone has been there at one time or another. It feels like your soul is fast asleep and it needs an alarm clock to wake it up. Music is an extremely effective tool in our lives. It is a tool that we cannot only use in our congregations, but in our everyday prayer time. Song can open windows to a deeper “kavanna” (intention) as we pour our hearts out to God. In those times when we feel like we are just not getting through and our prayers are falling flat, music can cut through the layers of weariness that life can place upon us.

Music is a game changer; it brings us to a place of repentance and to a level of joy so we can reach out to God and just be His children. We have to be willing to approach Him with a childlike heart.

I personally find that the Hasidic practice of using the “niggun” (Hebrew for “tune” or “melody”) is quite useful in my daily prayer life. The niggun is mostly a vocal music without the use of instruments, singing repetitive nonsense words like “lai lai lai!” or “ai-ai-ai!” instead of formal lyrics. There are times when instruments and actual word phrases are used (i.e. Bible verses or quotes, Liturgy quotes, Jewish texts) and sung repetitively. The niggun can be sung as a joyous festive tune or as a prayerful lament or contemplation. For the most part, it is pretty much like a child singing a melody that they can’t quite remember the words for. However, the emotions and attitude is still expressed.

The thought behind the niggun is that words can get in the way of what the deepest dimension of our soul wants to say to our Creator. How can words truly say and express what our feelings are crying out? Can words really capture our emotions when we are overwhelming with joy or in the depths of grief? The Hasidic Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz said this, “By way of the niggun one can indeed open all the gates of heaven.”

There are many ways we can use the niggun. We can use them in our congregational gatherings, we can use them in our personal prayers when we’re alone, or we can use them at just about any other time. The most important part of a niggun is to let your emotions out (no matter if you’re feeling awesome or if you’re feeling less than great).

Over the past year, in my Synagogue, I have begun to use a niggun to open the music portion of our Sabbath services. I have found that by doing this, it helps the congregation enter into a time of singing to God. It opens up the heart and soul by providing an outlet to pour our emotions out. We are able to approach God with the heart of a child. It allows each person to cry out to the Master of the Universe using the same nonsense words and same melody, but each person’s heart is pouring out their own personal emotions and baggage from the week. With all of our different struggles and issues, we come to the Father as His children; crying out for His embrace. Sometimes we run to Him joyfully. Sometimes we are crawling on our knees in grief. However, every time we come, it is always by not allowing words to limit our emotions. It is by expressing the deepest cry of our soul. The niggun awakens the soul.

One of the most famous passages in the Bible is found in Genesis chapter 32. In this passage Jacob fights an unknown man. Some Bible versions and commentators identify this unknown combatant as God Himself. Others say it’s the Messiah. Still, others have other explanations. Over the centuries, many scholars and sages have debated the identity of Jacob’s opponent in the night time wrestling match. The truth is we don’t know who wrestled with Jacob. However, this passage is very important for us to understand, but at the same time complex beyond reason.

We can be certain to learn a few things. Jacob was changed both physically and spiritually in his encounter. He physically walked away (limped away actually) with a hurt hip. Spiritually, he was changed also. His name was changed from Jacob (holder of the heel/follower) to Israel (Prince of God). He finally had God’s blessing and authority to take the place in the covenant that was made with Abraham years before.

In the past, Jacob had always run away from his problems with his brother Esau. He dealt with them in deceitful ways. Now he learns that it is through our struggles that we are changed. It is through our struggles that we are made stronger, and we grow into the people God has for us to be.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17 TLV

We often think we know who we’re fighting against, but later we find out we are mistaken. Our opponent was someone or something else all along. Sometimes it is ourselves we are contending with. Sometimes, but not always, the struggles we face are there because of barriers or obstacles we put in our own paths.

In a way Jacob’s struggle with Esau was there because of how Jacob handled his situation with his brother. Instead of waiting on God to work things out the way He wanted them to be, Jacob took matters into his own hands. He tried to “help God out”. This is a continuing lesson we see repeated over and over in Scripture. We all do it in our own lives as well! It always causes a mess. If we would only wait on God, things would be much easier. But that is easier said than done.

The story of creation that preceded Jacob’s story teaches us that each human is created in the image of God. So to struggle or fight with another human being is in a sense a struggle with the Almighty. Even so, when we struggle with ourselves, it’s a struggle with God. Our flesh often tells us to do one thing and the Holy Spirit tells us to do another.

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15 ESV

Yet it is the struggle and the fight within that makes us who we are. It is the process of shaping and molding us into the image of God…into His people, called by His name, to be a light to the nations.

It’s that time of year again. Hanukkah is fast approaching. There are many aspects to the holiday of Hanukkah, and many lessons we can learn from the stories that come out of that time when the Maccabees stood up and fought. I’m sure many blogs and books have been written about those lessons and maybe even the point I want to make here has already been written about. There is nothing new under the sun. That’s the point isn’t it? Just because someone else is doing the work, doesn’t mean we are any less obligated to do our part. We all have an obligation to do our own part; to do our part in being a light to the world. We are to make sure that when we take our final breath we can honestly say “I was one of the flames that set the world on fire.”

The Jewish people were forced by the Greeks into renouncing their faith and to take up pagan practices and worship false gods. Daniel spoke about this in Daniel chapter 11.

“With smooth words he will seduce those who act wickedly against the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand strong and prevail.” (Daniel 11:32 TLV)

When the Maccabees miraculously drove the Greeks out of Jerusalem and took the Holy Temple back, it was in ruins. It was a time of darkness. There were many who turned away from the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was a time of Spiritual darkness. The menorah in the Temple was put out. According to Leviticus 24 the menorah was to be lighted from evening till morning continually. They found one jar of olive oil that could be used to light the menorah, and it would only last one day. A great miracle happened there, and the menorah stayed lighted for eight days (until more oil could be made and obtained). Apparently, the light of the menorah was important to God. So we should understand it shouldn’t we? What was the purpose of the menorah in the Temple?

“Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12 TLV)

“As light I have come into the world, so that everyone who trusts I Me should not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 TLV)

Also, who can look over this passage?

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 TLV)

It’s pretty clear that Yeshua is the Word of God made flesh. Yeshua is saying that He is the embodiment of the Word of God; He’s following it perfectly. He’s saying that we should follow Him (do as He does), and we will have light. We will know how to live and follow Him. During the time of the Maccabees, the ones who turned their back on God and did what the Greeks told them to do (on penalty of death) were turning their backs on the Light. They chose to walk in darkness and forsake God’s commandments.The Master calls us to walk in the Light. I love His teaching from the “Sermon on the Mount” most of all:

“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15, 16 TLV)

There are several important points here. One, we are the light of the world; which means that we are followers of God, and we shouldn’t be secretive about it (hiding it under a basket). We are to let everyone know about it. Two, we are not to let them know about it with words. It’s our actions that let them know. When we follow God and His ways at home and out in the world, everyone takes notice. Especially in today’s world that is so full of darkness. When someone steps out and is a lighted menorah, people take notice.

Don’t believe me? One simple flame can be a huge impact to a darkened world. Find one single candle and turn out all the lights in the room you are in. Do this at night time so there is absolutely no light. When it’s pitch black, light the candle. The darkness doesn’t overtake the candle’s light. Instead, the light takes over the darkness; it pushes it back. As it is in the physical world, so it is in the spiritual. When we follow God and become a light to the world around us, we are pushing the darkness back. However, we do this by action and not by words alone.

We can learn many things from Hanukkah this year, but one of the most important things we should remember is the lesson of the Maccabees and set the world on fire.

“…but the people who know their God will stand strong and prevail.” (Daniel 11:32 TLV)

“…when you see the ark of the covenant of Adonai your God and the Levitical kohanim (preists)carrying it, then you must set out from your place and follow it.” – Joshua 3:3 (TLV)

In this season of change for our country, this raised an eyebrow. Change is a tricky thing. When we want change, we have to first ask ourselves if the change is from God or is it from ourselves. We must be cautious of change that comes from ourselves and that change is not prompted by God.

The story of the Israelites from their deliverance in Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land is a picture. It is a picture of our own deliverance and salvation from sin and our journey through life as we head toward the ultimate Promised Land. As the children of Israel wandered through the wilderness, they followed a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of cloud by night. If that pillar did not move, they did not move. If the pillar moved, they moved. It was a symbol to them that God went before them; He prepared the way (see Numbers 14:14). It’s the same idea here in Joshua. God has to prepare the way before His people move.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to make any changes in my life without God first preparing the way for me. Not ultimately. I continuously fight Him on this. If I have a bad day and get frustrated, the first thought in my mind is “I’m done.” I want to change my circumstance and move. However, that reaction is self-centered and not God centered.

We do that don’t we? We get bored, tired or fed up with people at our job and we look for something new and fresh. However, have we sought out God on it? Has he moved to prepare a way for us in a new job? We get an idea and want to act on it, but has God moved? Has God prepared the way for that idea to come to reality? It’s like we are a game piece on a chess board. We can see the square we are in and maybe even the squares touching our square. However, we don’t see the bigger picture. We just want out of the square we’re in. God sees the bigger picture and is thinking seven or eight moves ahead. He knows the end game while we don’t. We have to learn to see past ourselves.

I think Joshua offers some wisdom. In Joshua 3, where the children of Israel are told to move when the ark and the priests move, Joshua also says this:

“Consecrate yourselves…” – Joshua 3:5 (TLV)

What is he really saying? What is he telling the children of Israel to do? He’s telling them (and I’m over simplifying this on purpose) to get right with God. Set yourselves apart for God. Make yourself one hundred percent sold out to Him. Deny yourself.

Joshua is telling the children of Israel that they need to follow God; when God moves they move. It’s just like us as followers of Messiah. We follow Him. When He moves we move. Yeshua said this:

“Then Yeshua said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’” – Matthew 16:24 (TLV)

We must consecrate ourselves in order to be able to move when the Master moves. When the spiritual leaders He has placed over us move (because they are watching for Him to move) we move. We have to be ready and if we are not ready our foot may stumble and we won’t be as useful as we can be for Him.

If we’re not consecrated to Him and ready, our focus will be on our own desires and wants. However, if we’re consecrated to Him and ready, our focus will be on His desires and wants. We’ll be able to see the way He has prepared. Then if we need to move jobs, the path will be clear and for the right reason; Him.

So, the world is full of change. The United States has a new President-elect. That change alone will bring additional change. As His people we’re looking to our Messiah and waiting for Him to move, so we can then move with Him. If we do that, then we’ll be right were we need to be in the sea of change.

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